Clever Christmas storage that will save your sanity

A joy in the run up to Christmas is unpacking all your favourite garlands, baubles and ornaments to decorate your home with. Most of us have large boxes of this stuff stashed away in the loft or under the stairs that we dig out once a year.

While getting out the boxes can bring a thrill of excitement, having to spend hours untangling strings of lights or re-shaping squashed faux tree branches is less likely to fill you with festive cheer.

With all the other prep, planning and shopping, Christmas is stressful (and expensive) enough, so bring some calm to your life with these brilliant budget storage ideas for all your Christmas paraphernalia.

Invest in a wrapping station

Skubb storage case for wrapping paper, £12, IKEA

Start as you mean to go on with a dedicated storage case, the more compartments, the better. ‘This will keep all the elements for your Christmas wrapping station together,’ says Lucy Mansey, founder of award-winning home organisers, Organised by Lucy.

'They don’t cost much, and will keep everything, including your sticky tape and scissors, in one place. It’s also useful to see exactly what you have ‘in stock’ so you don’t end up buying duplicates. When you’re not using it simply zip it up and store it under a bed or in a cupboard.’

A safe space for baubles

Christmas bauble storage box in Red, from £11.69, The Range

‘Buying a bespoke Christmas ornament box is such a worthwhile investment,’ advise the Declutter Hub, aka Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman, authors of Reset Your Home: Unpack Your Emotions And Your Clutter, Step By Step, (£16.99, Bloomsbury).

These are widely available from DIY and homeware stores such as The Range, B&Q, Amazon and Wayfair. Make sure you choose ones with layered dividers that makes maximum use of the space while keeping your delicate baubles safe.

For an even cheaper option, it's easy to make your own. Start with a crate or cardboard box and use stackable apple storage trays to hold the baubles. You can buy these from retailers such as Robert Dyas, or pop into your local greengrocer and see if they are throwing any away.

‘Alternatively, egg cartons can be a brilliant DIY solution to store delicate baubles,’ says Ingrid. And if you have recently bought new wine glasses, keep the box for storing ornaments between the card dividers.

Keep lights tangle free

Christmas light storage wheel with handle, £7.99 B&Q

Light winders in the form of a wheel or a rectangular frame will save you hours of detangling later. There are lots to choose from on the market, or make your own.

‘All you need is an empty kitchen roll tube to wind around,’ says Lesley. ‘Write where the lights are for on the cardboard tube: the tree, fireplace, window, and so on, and next year, they’ll be easy to find.’ You can use these to store long lengths of tinsel too.

Looking after your tree

Neo heavy duty Christmas Tree storage bag in green ,£12.99, Argos

‘If you have an artificial tree, don’t throw away the box it arrived in – keep that to store it in,’ advises Ingrid. If it’s too late for that, invest in a storage bag with handles that will keep it in perfect condition for years to come.

Door wreathes and rolled up garlands can be kept neat and dust-free in a zip-up circular storage bag. One with a see-through plastic lid will let you see what’s in it at a glance.

For all your other storage, be sure to use sticky labels written up with what’s inside. That way, decorating for Christmas will bring you comfort and joy every year.

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